White Faculty as True Allies in the Classroom: The JEDI Code

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Social Determinants of Health
• Health Equity

Background:

• Racism persists in healthcare, perpetuated by myths and discriminatory practices, exacerbating the U.S. healthcare crisis.
• Current professional health education often fails to address systemic racism, contributing to inequitable patient care.
• There is a critical need to transform healthcare education to combat racism and promote health equity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To acknowledge the pervasive culture of racism in healthcare and its propagation through current educational practices.
• To investigate strategies for developing anti-racist classrooms in professional health education.
• To explore the role of leadership and a Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (JEDI) Code in creating inclusive learning environments.

Main Methods:

• Commentary analyzing the integration of JEDI principles in healthcare education.
• Exploration of five leadership aspects for creating change in educational settings.
• Discussion of a "classroom of practice" model to foster belonging and anti-racism.

Main Results:

• Anti-racist classrooms require educators to act as change agents, role models, and ethical practitioners.
• Developing a JEDI Code can cultivate a learning environment centered on belonging.
• A "classroom of practice" provides a structured space for students to develop within an anti-racist framework.

Conclusions:

• Transforming healthcare education is essential to abolish racism in healthcare.
• Integrating JEDI values and fostering belonging are key to creating anti-racist learning environments.
• Educators, particularly white allies, are called to lead the development of anti-racist classrooms to improve health equity.